Gavin Campbell

The advice comes after a “skimming” device was found on an ATM in Bo’ness.

Police were made aware of the device on an ATM at Links Road in the town earlier this month.

Officers recovered the skimming device and their enquiries are ongoing.

They are reminding people to stay vigilant when using the machines.

ATM skimming is like identity theft for debit cards. Thieves use hidden electronics to steal the personal information stored on your card and record your PIN number to access cash in your account.

Skimming takes two separate components to work. The first part is the skimmer itself, a card reader placed over the ATM’s real card slot.

When you slide your card into the ATM, you’re unwittingly sliding it through the counterfeit reader, which scans and stores all the information on the magnetic strip.

To gain full access to your bank account, the thieves still need your PIN number. That’s where cameras come in - hidden on or near the ATMs, tiny spy cameras are positioned to get a clear view of the keypad.

The advice is always to pay attention to objects mounted on the ATM or located close by. A pinhole or off-colour piece of plastic could give away the camera’s hiding place.